Switch with housing having lead wire provisions

ABSTRACT

An electric switch wherein the components thereof are enclosed in a housing made up of self-extinguishing material, such as Bakelite, or the like, and embodying a flange on the housing thereof with passageways afforded through the flange and the sidewall of the housing for receiving wires extending into the housing, an opening in the flange for receiving lead-in wires and affording a stop member for preventing accidental withdrawal of wires from the housing, and with a switch actuating member projecting outwardly from the housing.

United States Patent [191 Brandell SWITCH WITH HOUSING HAVING LEAD WIRE PROVISIONS Inventor: John R. Brandell, 1527 Sequoia Trl., Glenview, 111. 60025 Filed: Jan. 25, 1974 Appl. No.: 436,434

US Cl 200/293, 174/58, 273/179 A Int. Cl. H0lh 9/02 Field of Search 200/293, 294, 29 B;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1973 Kaesser et al 200/293 Brandell 273/179 A Jan. 7, 1975 Primary Examiner-G. Z. Rubinson Assistant ExaminerWilliam J. Smith Attorney, Agent, or Firm-OKeeffe & Root [57] ABSTRACT An electric switch wherein the components thereof are enclosed in a housing made up of selfextinguishing material, such as Bakelite, or the like, and embodying a flange on the housing thereof with passageways afforded through the flange and the sidewall of the housing for receiving wires extending into the housing, an opening in the flange for receiving lead-in wires and affording a stop member for preventing accidental withdrawal of wires from the housing, and with a switch actuating member projecting outwardly from the housing.

10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to electric switches, and, more particularly, to electric switches of the enclosed, selfcontained type.

It is a primary object of the present invention to afford a novel electric switch.

- Another object of the present invention is to afford a novel electric switch embodying a housing wherein the parts thereof are constituted and arranged in a novel and expeditious manner, and which is made of self-extinguishing plastic material.

As is well known to those skilled in the art with respect to many electric appliances and electrically actuated devices, such as, for example, golf putting practice games of the type disclosed in my co-pending application for United States Letters Patent S. N. 388,125, filed Aug. 13, 1973, approval by certain authorities as to fire resistance, electrical safety, and the like, of such units is commonly required prior to initiating commerical distribution thereof. Heretofore, in many instances wherein electric switching componentswere embodied in such appliances or devices in an exposed manner therein, such approval of the appliances or devices could not be obtained unless the entire housing thereof was constructed of material or materials having particular characteristics, such as, for example, being selfextinguishing insofar as fire or flame resistance is concerned, or the like. It is an important object of the pres ent invention to enable such appliances and devices, and the like to be constructed in a novel and expeditious manner whereby only a portion of the entire unit needs to have such special characteristics in order to obtain such approval.

An object ancillary to the foregoing is to afford a novel switch which is of such construction that it has such special characteristics, and that it may be embodied in such appliances or devices, wherein the remainder of the appliance or device does not have the aforementioned special characteristics, and thereby enable the appliance or device to obtain the aforementioned approval.-

Another object of the present invention is to afford a novel switch of the aforementioned type which is practical and efficient in operation and which may be readily and economically produced commercially.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show the preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode I in which I have contemplated applying these principles.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings: FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a switch, embodying the principles of the present invention, showing the switch mounted in operative position in a golf putting game device which is shown fragmentarily;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the switch shown in FIG. 1 with the cover thereof removed;

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2, with the cover in place;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 in FIG. 3, with the cover in place.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT SHOWN HEREIN An electric switch 1, embodying the principles of the present invention, is shown in the drawings to illustrate the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention.

In general, the electric switch 1 embodies a housing 2 having two electrical contact plates 3 and 4 mounted therein, with a push button 5 projecting outwardly from the housing 2 for actuating the switch 1.

The housing 2 of the preferred form of switch 1, shown in the drawings, is entirely constructed of a suitable plastic material, which is self-extinguishing insofar as flame resistance and fire resistance characteristics are concerned. Such materials are readily available on the market, examples thereof being the materials sold under the trademarks Bakelite and Lucite. It embodies a main body portion 6 having a flange 7 projecting outwardly from the upper edge portion thereof with a cover member 8 removably mounted on the top of the body portion 6 for closing the latter.

The body portion 6 of the housing 2 embodies a substantially flat bottom wall 9, two substantially vertical sidewalls l0 and 11 projecting upwardly from respective opposite longitudinal edges of the bottom wall 9, and two substantially vertical end walls 12 and 13 extending upwardly from respective opposite ends of the bottom wall 9. Two supporting members 14 and 15, which are formed integrally with the remainder of the main body portion 6, project upward from respective end portions of the bottom wall 9, and a boss 16 which,

likewise, is formed integrally with the remainder of the main body portion'6, projects upward from a central portion of the bottom wall 9.

The flange 7 is substantially flat and projects horizontally outwardly from the upper edge portion of the sidewall 10. It has two openings 17 and 18 extending vertically through respective end portions thereof and another opening 19 extending through the central portion thereof. Two elongated grooves or recesses 20 and 21 are formed in the upper faces of the flange 7 and the sidewall 10 and extend completely thereacross in substantially parallel spaced relation to each other, the recess 20 being disposed between the openings 17 and 19, and the recess 21 being disposed between the openings I8 and 19.

The upper edges of the walls 10-13 of the body portion 6 are disposed in uniplanar relation to each other, and in the assembled switch 1, the cover 8 which is rectangular in shape, rests on top of the walls 10-13 in position to completely cover the open top of the main body portion 9, one longitudinal edge 22 of the cover 8 being disposed in abutting engagement with the inner, upper edge portion of the flange 7, and the cover 8 being removably secured to the main body portion 6 by a screw or bolt 23 extending downwardly through the cover 8 and threadedly engaged in the boss 16.

Each of the electric contact plates 3 and 4 embodies a substantially flat, L-shaped top wall 24, having two legs 25 and 26, and a sidewall 27 projecting downwardly from the outer end of the respective leg 25. Each of the top walls 24 embodies two openings 28 and 29 extending vertically through the'legs 25 and 26. respectively and the contact plates 3 and 4 areenclosed on the upper faces of the supporting members 14 and 15, respectively, with the openings 28 disposed around posts or abutment members 30 projecting upwardly from the respective supporting members 14 and 15, and with screws or bolts 31 extending downwardly through the openings 29 and threadedly secured in the respective supporting members 14 and 15, to thereby secure the electric contact plates 3 and 4 in operative position in the main body portion 6 of the housing 2.

The contact plate 4 has a contact member, in the form of a button 32, which may be made of any suitable material such as, for example, tungsten, projecting outwardly from the outer face of the sidewall 27 thereof. The sidewall 27 of the contact plate 3 includes an elongated, resilient extension member 33 projecting horizontally therefrom. The extension 33 extends past the contact plate 4 and has a free end portion 34 which is disposed at an obtuse angle to a substantially flat, main body portion 35 of the extension 33. Another contact member in the form of a button 36, which may be of any suitable material such as, for example, the aforementionedtungsten is mounted on and carried by the main body portion 35 of the extension 33 in directly oppositely disposed relation to the contact member 32.

The contact plates 3 and 4 may be made of any suitable material, such as, for example, copper, and the extension 33 is flexible and resilient so that it may be flexed around its junction with the leg 25 of the contact plate 3 toward and away from the-contact plate 34, to thereby move the contact member 36 into and out of engagement with the contact member 32. In its normal at-rest position, the extension 33 is so disposed that the contact member 36'is disposed in outwardly spaced relation to the contact member 32, FIG. 2.

The push button embodies an elongated, substantially straight shank 37 extending through, and slidably mounted in an opening 38 extending through a corner 39 of the main body portion 6 of the housing 2, the corner 39 being an angularly offset interconnection of the sidewall 11 and the end wall 13. The shank 37 preferably is disposed in the opening 38 with a relatively snug but freely slidably tit, and the push button 5 embodies an enlarged head 40 mounted on the inner end of the shank 37 and disposed in abutting engagement with the outer face of the outer end portion 34 of the elongated extension 33 of the electric contact plate 3.

The push button 5 may be made of any suitable electrically non-conductive material, such as,for example, the aforementioned plastic material sold under the trademark Bakelite or the trademark Lucite, and is manually operable so that inward pressure exerted on the outer end of the shank 37 manually, or by other means such as by engagement with a golf ball, is effective to flex the extension 33 of the contact plate 3 inwardly and thereby engage the contact member 32 and 33. Upon release of the aforementioned outer end of the shank 37, the extension 33 is operable to again flex outwardly relative to the contact plate 4 and thereby move the contact member 36 outwardly away from the contact member 32 and move the push button 5 outwardly into its normal at-rest position in the housing 2, shown in FIG. 2. V

In assembling the switch 1, an electric cord, such as, for example, the cord 41, shown in the drawings, which embodies a proximal end portion to be attached to switch 1, and a distal end portion to be attached to a suitable source of power, not shown, may be inserted upwardly through the opening 19 in the flange 7. The cord 41 embodies two lead wires 42 and 43, and a knot such as the knot 44, which is of such a size that it will not pass through the opening 19, may be tied in the proximal end portions of the wires 42 and 43 above the opening 19 so as to prevent the cord 41 from being pulled through the opening 19 toward the distal end portion thereof by tension applied to the cord 41, and the like. Thereafter, with the cover 8 removed from the main body portion 6 of the housing 2, the free proximal end portion of the lead wire 42 may be disposed in the depression 20 and operatively connected to the contact plate 3 by suitable means such as a screw or bolt 45. The free proximal end portion of the other lead wire 43 may be retained outside of the housing 2 in position to be connected to a suitable article such as, for example, to one end of the coil of a solenoid, such as the solenoid 46 shown in FIG. 1. One end of another wire, such as the wire 47 shown in FIG. 2, may be connected to the contact plate 4 by suitable means such as a screw or bolt 48, and the wire 47 may be disposed in the other recess 21 so as to dispose the other end thereof in outwardly projecting relation to the housing 2, in which position it is available for connection to a suitable article such as, for example, the other end of the coil of the relay 46 shown in FIG. 1.

After the wires 42, 43 and 47 have thus been disposed in operative position relative to the housing 2, the cover 8 may be placed in operative position on top of the main body portion 6, wherein it is effective to close the latter, and may be releasably secured in such position by the screw or bolt 23.

With the switch 1 assembled in such a manner, it will be seen that when the wires 43 and 47 are operatively connected to an article to be energized, and the distal end portion of the wires 42 and 43 are connected to a suitable source of electric power, closing of the contacts 32 and 36, by inward movement of the push button 5, is effective to close a circuit which extends from the aforementioned source of power, through the lead wire 42, the contact plate 3, the extension member 33 and the contact member 36, the contact member 32 and the contact plate 4, the wire 47, the aforementioned article, such as the solenoid 46, and the wire 43 back to the aforementioned source of power. Release of inward pressure on the push button 5, when the contacts 32 and 36 are disposed in engagement with each other, is effective to free the extension member 33 to again move out to its normal at-rest position shown in FIG. 2, to thereby move the contact 36 out of engagement with the contact 32 and thus open the aforementioned circuit.

Also, it will be seen that with the switch 1 constructed and assembled in the aforementioned manner, the know 44 is constructed to prevent the proximal end portions of the wires 42 and 43 from being pulled downwardly through the opening 19 by tension on the cord 41 at the side of the flange 7 remote from the knot 4, so that it protects the connection of the lead wire 42 to the switch plate 3 and the connection of the lead wire 43 to the aforementioned article from undue strain being placed thereon.

In addition, it will be seen that with the switch 1 constructed in the aforementioned manner and with the housing 2 and the cover 8 constructed of the aforementioned self-extinguishing plastic material, a self contained switch is afforded, which affords effective protection against fire, and affords effective electric insulation disposed in surrounding relation to the current-carrying components of the switch.

With the switch 1 constructed in the aforementioned manner, it affords an effective switch which may be operatively disposed in units, such as, the aforementioned golf putting practice game shown in FIG. 1, wherein the major portion of such a game, or the like, may be made of cheaper plastic material than that from which the housing 2 and cover 8 are formed, while still preventing effective, adequate protection against electric shock, fire, and the like.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention affords a novel electric switch which is practical and efficient in operation, and which may be readily and economically produced commercially.

Thus, while l have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this is capable of variation and modification and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A switch comprising a. a housing comprising l. a main body portion having an open top, and 2. a flange projecting substantially horizontally outwardly from the upper edge of one sidewall of said body portion, b. said housing having two elongated, upwardly opening recesses extending transversely across said flange and said sidewall, c. said flange having an opening extending vertically therethrough. d. two contact members disposed in said body portion in spaced relation to each other, e. a cover member mounted on said main body in closing relation to said top, f. an elongated wire I. having one end connected to one of said contact members, and

2. extending outwardly of said housing from said one contact member through one of said recesses,

g. two elongated lead wires having 1. proximal end portions and distal end portions,

and 2. said proximal end portions extending through said opening,

h. means on said proximal end portions and disposed on the side of said flange remote from said distal end portions for preventing longitudinal movement of said proximal end portions through said opening in a direction toward said distal end portions,

. the free end of one of said proximal end portions projecting outwardly from said means,

j. the free end portion of the other of said proximal end portions 1. extending through the other of said recesses, and 2. being connected to the other of said contact members and k. means for electrically connecting said contact members for the passage of electric current therebetween. 2. A switch as defined in claim 1, and in which a. said means for preventing longitudinal movement comprises a knot tied in said proximal end portions. 3. A switch as defined in claim 1, and in which a. said opening is disposed between said two recesses. 4. A switch as defined in claim 1, and in which a. said means for connecting said contact members comprises 1. an elongated, resilient portion of one of said contact members having a. a normal position wherein it is disposed in spaced relation to the other of said contact members, and b. an actuated position wherein it is disposed in engagement with said last mentioned other contact member, and 2. means projecting outwardly of said housing and manually operable for moving said resilient portion from said normal position to said closed position. 5. A switch as defined in claim 1, and in which a. said means for moving said resilient portion comprises an electrically non-conductive push button 1. operatively connected to one end portion of said elongated resilient portion, and 2. slidably mounted in a sidewall of said body portion. 6. A switch as defined in claim 5, and in which a. said push button projects outwardly from said body portion 1. on the side thereof remote from said flange and 2. in a direction opposite to that in which said flange projects from said body portion. 7. A switch as defined in claim 1, and in which a. said opening is disposed between said two recesses, b. said means for connecting said contact members comprises 1. an elongated, resilient portion of one of said contact members having a. a normal position wherein it is disposed in spaced relation to the other of said contact members, and b. an actuated position wherein it is disposed in engagement with said last mentioned other contact member, and 2. means projecting outwardly of said housing and manually operable for moving said resilient portion from said normal position to said closed position, and c. said means for moving said resilient portion comprises and electrically non-conductive push button I. operatively connected to one end portion of said elongated resilient portion, and 2. slidably mounted in a sidewall of said body portion. 8. A switch as defined in claim 7, and in which a. said push button projects outwardly from said body portion 1. on the side thereof remote from said flange and plastic material. 2. in a direction opposite to that in which said 10. A switch as defined in claim 1, and in which flange projects from said body portion. a. said cover member is removably'mounted on said 9. A switch as defined in claim 8, and in which body member in uniplanar relation to said flange. a. said housing and cover consist of self-extinguishing 

1. A switch comprising A. a housing comprising
 1. a main body portion having an open top, and
 2. a flange projecting substantially horizontally outwardly from the upper edge of one sidewall of said body portion, b. said housing having two elongated, upwardly opening recesses extending transversely across said flange and said sidewall, c. said flange having an opening extending vertically therethrough. d. two contact members disposed in said body portion in spaced relation to each other, e. a cover member mounted on said main body in closing relation to said top, f. an elongated wire
 1. having one end connected to one of said contact members, and
 2. extending outwardly of said housing from said one contact member through one of said recesses, g. two elongated lead wires having
 1. proximal end portions and distal end portions, and
 2. said proximal end portions extending through said opening, h. means on said proximal end portions and disposed on the side of said flange remote from said distal end portions for preventing longitudinal movement of said proximal end portions through said opening in a direction toward said distal end portions, i. the free end of one of said proximal end portions projecting outwardly from said means, j. the free end portion of the other of said proximal end portions
 1. extending through the other of said recesses, and
 2. being connected to the other of said contact members and k. means for electrically connecting said contact members for the passage of electric current therebetween.
 2. in a direction opposite to that in which said flange projects from said body portion.
 2. slidably mounted in a sidewall of said body portioN.
 2. means projecting outwardly of said housing and manually operable for moving said resilient portion from said normal position to said closed position, and c. said means for moving said resilient portion comprises and electrically non-conductive push button
 2. in a direction opposite to that in which said flange projects from said body portion.
 2. slidably mounted in a sidewall of said body portion.
 2. means projecting outwardly of said housing and manually operable for moving said resilient portion from said normal position to said closed position.
 2. A switch as defined in claim 1, and in which a. said means for preventing longitudinal movement comprises a knot tied in said proximal end portions.
 2. being connected to the other of said contact members and k. means for electrically connecting said contact members for the passage of electric current therebetween.
 2. said proximal end portions extending through said opening, h. means on said proximal end portions and disposed on the side of said flange remote from said distal end portions for preventing longitudinal movement of said proximal end portions through said opening in a direction toward said distal end portions, i. the free end of one of said proximal end portions projecting outwardly from said means, j. the free end portion of the other of said proximal end portions
 2. extending outwardly of said housing from said one contact member through one of said recesses, g. two elongated lead wires having
 2. a flange projecting substantially horizontally outwardly from the upper edge of one sidewall of said body portion, b. said housing having two elongated, upwardly opening recesses extending transversely across said flange and said sidewall, c. said flange having an opening extending vertically therethrough. d. two contact members disposed in said body portion in spaced relation to each other, e. a cover member mounted on said main body in closing relation to said top, f. an elongated wire
 3. A switch as defined in claim 1, and in which a. said opening is disposed between said two recesses.
 4. A switch as defined in claim 1, and in which a. said means for connecting said contact members comprises
 5. A switch as defined in claim 1, and in which a. said means for moving said resilient portion comprises an electrically non-conductive push button
 6. A switch as defined in claim 5, and in which a. said push button projects outwardly from said body portion
 7. A switch as defined in claim 1, and in which a. said opening is disposed between said two recesses, b. said means for connecting said contact members comprises
 8. A switch as defined in claim 7, and in which a. said push button projects outwardly from said body portion
 9. A switch as defined in claim 8, and in which a. said housing and cover consist of self-extinguishing plastic material.
 10. A switch as defined in claim 1, and in which a. said cover member is removably mounted on said body member in uniplanar relation to said flange. 